10 ingredients to destroy the world
by NarahSelson
Summary: Valkyrie and Skulduggery have a new case. 2 of the 10 ingredients used to create a potion of mass destruction have been stolen. They must track down the other ingredients and make sure this potion is not constructed. Valduggery. Doesn't sound THAT good but give it a go. Review please, it makes me happy and motivated!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! Another story! Cause I feel like it! Of course I will still be updating Dimension shunting! Don't worry! Hope you enjoy!**

A weekend at home, finally. I had been crime fighting and detecting all week and I needed a break. Skulduggery and I were working on a new case, the _Codex of Magic _had been stolen, along with the _Locket of Armadalia._ Both of these items were needed in a complex potion, the _Azdrove potion_, which would make the drinker both immortal and capable to store power. Whoever drunk this potion could in fact steal other people's magic, draining it from them and taking it for themselves. Skulduggery suspected that someone was hunting for the ingredients to create the potion, they would continue searching for the ingredients until they had collected them all.

There were ten ingredients in total and the culprit had already stolen two. He or she could be potentially dangerous, after all, the best sorcerers of all had banded together in the Council of 10 and had sworn to protect the 10 ingredients from the greedy clutches of evil sorcerers like Mevolent and Serpine during the war. They had split away, carrying an ingredient each to the far corners of the globe, hiding them with their super magic and power. These sorcerers were known as the Invincibles as they were, practically invincible. Each sorcerer had an extreme power that had never been seen before.

Apparently, there was no one alive who had ever seen or experienced these powers for themselves. People were actually very scared of the Invincibles, which was why no one ever went after the ingredients. Two of the Invincibles that had been guarding the ingredients were found dead, their stomachs ripped open and their mouths sewn together. It was all rather gruesome really.

We had to figure out which ingredient he would go to find next and beat him to it, not to mention, actually finding the place. No one had any record of where they might be. I thought that this case was going to be tedious, we had already done a day of research. A day! We'd figured out that the locket and the codex had been the easiest ingredients to find.

The locket had been located in Fiji, in an underground cave. There had been plenty of protection around it, Darquesse probably would have had difficulty getting in.

The Codex was found in America, hidden in the Building of Light. The Building of Light, to mortals was the Empire State building, but to sorcerers, it was known as the Building of Light. It went up 550 levels and the very top level was made up entirely of light. It was beautiful, I had seen pictures of it. The top levels were used for containing highly dangerous criminals, for they couldn't be kept in normal sorcerer's prisons, they were too powerful. The middle levels, were for magical experiments, testing out chemicals and magical potions, animals and mutations. The bottom levels, were just hotel rooms designed to accommodate any sorcerer who was in need of a place to stay. It was really, rather funky. The Codex had been kept in a secret basement level 100 metres underground.

Stop it, I told myself. You are supposed to be relaxing and hanging out with your family! I walked down the stairs to greet my parents and make myself breakfast and I almost fainted.

The reflection was bent over my mum holding a knife high above her head.

"Stephanie! How could you do this? We can help you! With whatever problem your dealing with just –

The reflection swung the knife down and it sunk into her mother's chest with a sickening, wet, thunk. Dad had obviously heard Mum's screams and came bursting through the front door with a pitchfork in his hand. When he saw Melissa, his wife, he dropped to the ground crawling over to her, not noticing that the reflection was standing behind him.

"Melissa," he sobbed into her chest, "No, I love you! You can't just leave me like this! You've always helped me solve my problems, and now I can't help you! I can't save you! Melissa I love you, I love you so much."

I was frozen. I couldn't move. I needed to help my father from the evil refection, I needed to avenge my mother's death, but I was frozen. I felt tears roll down my face, but my hands couldn't move to wipe them away. I watched in agony as the reflection took the knife once more in its hands and plunged it into his chest. To make it worse, it twisted it in his chest making his rugged breathing suddenly stop.

I finally did something. I threw up everywhere. The reflection spun around, seeing me, and it's eyes widened in fear. It sprinted out of the house. I would have gone after it, if I weren't crouched down on my knees vomiting everywhere.

Eventually, I ran. Away from the house and away from the gruesome scene. I kept running, I didn't know where to go, my mind was a blur. I ran all day and eventually, my body couldn't take it anymore and I collapsed on the ground. The last thing I saw, was a skeleton running towards me dressed in an impeccable suit.

When I woke up, I was lying down in a warm, cozy bed. I opened my eyes slowly, and the horrors from yesterday suddenly came flooding back into my mind. Tears were flowing freely down my face now. My innocent parents, my kind, honest parents were dead, killed by someone who looked exactly like me. And I did nothing.

I could have leaped into action, taking the reflection down, after all, it didn't have magic right? But I didn't. I stood still and watched it murder them in cold blood.

I was hyperventilating now and bawling my eyes out. Skulduggery came rushing up the stairs and sat down next to me on the bed cradling me gently in his arms.

"I know you don't want to talk about it Valkyrie, but I need to know what happened," Skulduggery whispered, "It's the only way I can help you."

So I told him. Told him how I did nothing, told him how I ran away.

"I'm a coward," I croaked, "I just let them die."

"Valkyrie," he murmured pulling her closer to him, "You are no coward. You are one of the the mostr bravest people I know. You've had to face Darquesse, torture, break –ups, all these villains, you've saved me countless times. I could not be more grateful for you. You are my best friend Valkyrie. I am amazing, so being my best friend, you must be completely amazing too. Don't ever doubt yourself Valkyrie, this has happened to me before and I know what it feels like."

She snuggled into him and they stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in a warm embrace.

**Well there you go! I wasn't expecting to kill off characters but oh well! Hope you like!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thankyou for the reviews, they were all positive, sort of. **

**Gabi the guest: Thanks for the constructive criticism, although I wasn't dancing with joy, I hope that she is more in character.**

**Justrockzyxxx: I know, right now she has a CRAP life.**

**Phobby Writer: As you wish, I'm UPDATING! **

**NightcatMau: Let's hope no one else dies. . . .**

**Naenae: I'm glad you do! **

Hi guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while – so much stuff on! Been so busy stressing about stuff at school! Anyways, here it is!

My parents. Dead. And I'd have to learn to deal with that. I had already gone too far in being an emotional wreck with Skulduggery. I had to swallow my hurt, sadness and anger and be a detective. We had work to do.

"Valkyrie?" Skulduggery said uncertainly, quite aware that his arms were still wrapped around my middle.

"Yes Skulduggery," I said.

"Are you okay?" he said cautiously.

"Of course not, but we have a job to do so let's get to it," I said shaking his hands off me and standing up stretching.

"You know, that it is okay to be upset Valkyrie, it's not a weakness," Skulduggery said quietly. His words made me turn around. I moved toward him and gave him a hug.

"I know Skulduggery, this case will take my mind off it won't it?"

"It will," he said, "I know someone who might have information."

"Hmm, who?" I asked. He looked hesitant and slightly uncomfortable.

"Vampire," he said slowly. I made a throw up gesture to my mouth with my finger and said, "I have to get over it sooner or later. Meh, it'll be fine. Any vampire in particular?"

"Fen Bield," he said. I knew he was hiding something so I continued staring at him.

"Fine, he's Caelan's brother," he said quickly.

What. The. Heck. Caelan. Brother. Vampire.

"You can't be serious!" I said.

"Trust me, I can, and I was being serious. We must see him. He has the information we need."

"Fine, let's go see him then," I grumbled. 

We got in the Bentley and drove off toward a quiet vampire town called Vadirguard. Weird name, I thought. Because of my quietness, and mood swings Skulduggery asked me if I wanted to listen to my station. Wow, that's never happened before.

"I thought you didn't want anyone touching it because you just had it tuned perfectly," I said.

"I lied, I just don't like modern music," he said.

I reached for the knobs on the radio and a song I knew came on,

_Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young_

We're gonna die young  
We're gonna die young

Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young

Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young

I immediately switched stations, to a station that was playing Fallout Boy. I turned my head away from Skulduggery and to the window and I felt tears in my eyes.

Calm down, I thought, you have to be strong, don't cry, don't you dare cry.

But there was already a tear rolling across my face, and Skulduggery said my name so I immediately turned.

Big mistake.

"Valkyrie," he said concerned, "I'm sorry." He reached out and took my hand and gave it a squeeze before putting it back on the steering wheel to drive.

"It's okay Skulduggery, I'm just, lost. I failed them. I've been so focused on saving the world from myself that I didn't think of the possibility that it might have been the reflection in the vision, not Darquesse. And I'm just so regretful that I didn't spend any time with my parents before, well, yeah."

I looked down awkwardly, but then realised something very important. Alice!

"Skulduggery! Alice! I left her there! She couldn't have been killed! She was only a baby," the single tear that had rolled down my face turned into an ocean.

Skulduggery stopped the car and rubbed his skull in frustration.

"We can't go back, we've entered their territory now, we have to at least talk to them before we leave," he said clenching his jaw together. I guess if he had lips, he would be biting down on them.

_Don't drop that durka durk _

_Ay, don't drop that durka durk_

What the?

"Err, that's just my phone ringing," said Skulduggery answering the phone.

I waited patiently for Skulduggery to end the conversation.

"Ghastly! Ghastly? Are you there? Crap!" Skulduggery said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"He said he found Alice at your house, the mortal police were on their way so they had to clear things up fast. And then he just cut off, it sounded like there was a fight going on. I'm sorry about this Valkyrie, but we have to keep going. Look, here it is now," Skulduggery said.

I was still quite shocked about Alice and Ghastly's situation when Skulduggery told me to undo my seatbelt because we were here. There was a wrought, iron fence, rusted slightly, and behind it was a magnificent mansion. It had stone pillars, and a waterfall out the front. The door was 5 meters tall and 2 meters wide. I gasped at the enormity and the grandness of Fen Bield's mansion.

Skulduggery raised his hand toward the fence and whispered.

_Ahk meh ce le fie_

_Bo fuak son pyon_

I raised an eyebrow at Skulduggery questioningly and to my amazement, the gates opened. We walked through slowly, admiring the spectacular garden. There were thick, green hedges and dozens of rose bushes, blue flowers, daisies, lilies, and a tall oak tree that stood in the centre of the magnificent garden.

We finally reached the gigantic door and Skulduggery knocked three times. We stood and waited for a while until a white face appeared in the window next to the door. An attractive vampire with Caelan's features opened the door and greeted us. The first thing he said to me wasn't exactly cheerful.

"You, you killed my brother, and you must pay in blood."

This was not going to be fun.

**Hope it was more in character and if it wasn't, who cares! Deal with it!**

**Love you all! **


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